Sweden’s national parks run from glaciers in Lapland to beech forest in Skåne, and several are a bus ride from a city. The one thing visitors miss is that the usual right to roam changes at the park boundary. Here is the count, the rules and how to choose.
When you need this
- You are choosing which park fits a trip from Stockholm, Gothenburg, Skåne or Lapland.
- You want to know whether you may pitch a tent, light a fire or bring the dog in a specific park.
- You plan to fly a drone over a Swedish landscape.
- You read “30 national parks” or “Vålådalen National Park” somewhere and want to know which is right.
- You are planning an island park that only a seasonal boat reaches.
How many national parks does Sweden have
Thirty-one. Sweden was the first country in Europe to create national parks: nine were formed on 24 May 1909, Abisko and Sarek among them. Seven more followed between 1918 and 1962, and twelve between 1982 and 2002. Kosterhavet (2009), Åsnen (2018) and Nämdöskärgården (2025) brought the total to 31.
That last addition matters because many pages still say 30. Nämdöskärgården, in the Stockholm archipelago, is Sweden’s first marine national park in the Baltic Sea, and 97 percent of it is water. Its main entrance is on the island of Bullerö.
A national park is state-owned land, and the government forms one only after the Riksdag approves. That makes the pipeline slow:
| Area | Status in September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Bästeträsk, Gotland | Proposed to the government in August 2025 as park number 32. No bill came before the 2026 election, and the planned autumn 2026 inauguration was called off. |
| Vålådalen-Sylarna-Helags, Jämtland | Not a park. Naturvårdsverket ended the project in 2019 because the parties could not agree on its purpose. |
| Rogen-Juttulslätten, Kebnekaise, Vindelfjällen and others | Proposals in Naturvårdsverket’s 2008 national park plan only. |
Most parks are managed by the county administrative board (länsstyrelsen). The exceptions are the four Laponia parks (Sarek, Padjelanta/Badjelánnda, Stora Sjöfallet/Stuor Muorkke and Muddus/Muttos), which Laponiatjuottjudus manages, and Tyresta, which the Tyresta Forest Foundation runs.
What changes inside a park
Allemansrätten, the right of public access, is narrower inside a national park. Each park has its own binding regulations (föreskrifter), and breaking them is an offence even where the same act would be legal outside the boundary. The principle is the same everywhere. The details are set park by park.
| Activity | Outside, under allemansrätten | Inside a national park |
|---|---|---|
| Tent | A night or two on most land | Often allowed, but sometimes only at designated sites and for a set number of nights |
| Fire | Allowed with care when no ban applies | Only at designated fire pits; under any fire ban, nowhere in the park |
| Firewood | Fallen wood only, never from living trees | No branches or twigs from living plants; some parks ban fallen branches too |
| Dog | Leash 1 March–20 August | Leash in every month; some parks ban dogs or allow them only on set trails |
| Drone | EU and Swedish drone rules | Take-off and landing commonly banned without a county permit |
| Bike, horse | Allowed where they cause no damage | Often restricted, snowmobiles included |
Three real examples show how the principle turns into rules:
- Tyresta: tents only at the Stensjödal camp, at most three nights in a row, or another designated place. Camping stoves are explicitly allowed.
- Skuleskogen: from 1 May to 30 September, tents only at designated places and for at most three nights; longer stays need a county permit. Drones are on the list of banned aircraft.
- Kosterhavet: on North and South Koster, overnight stays are allowed only at the Nordkoster campsite. The regulations forbid starting or landing any aircraft, drones included, and require you to keep 100 m from bird sanctuaries 1 March–31 August and seal sanctuaries 15 May–15 July.
Nämdöskärgården is more generous: two days on the same spot almost everywhere, and up to seven days at the Bullerö tent site. Dogs vary most in the mountains. Outside 1 January–30 April, Sarek allows them only on Kungsleden and Padjelanta not at all, and Abisko, Vadvetjåkka and Pieljekaise allow them off the trails only from 1 January to 30 April. Gotska Sandön allows no pets ashore. For the dog rules in full, see our guide to dogs in Swedish nature; for drones, drone rules in Sweden.
The 31 parks by region
Pick by where you already are. The table groups every park by region.
| Region | Parks | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Norrbotten (Lapland) | Abisko, Vadvetjåkka, Sarek, Padjelanta, Stora Sjöfallet, Muddus, Pieljekaise, Haparanda Skärgård | High mountains, Laponia, one Bothnian Bay island park |
| Västerbotten, Västernorrland, Jämtland | Björnlandet, Skuleskogen, Sonfjället | Old forest, High Coast, low fell |
| Dalarna and Gävleborg | Fulufjället, Töfsingdalen, Hamra, Färnebofjärden | Fell plateau, boulder valley, old forest, river delta |
| Stockholm and Gotland | Tyresta, Ängsö, Nämdöskärgården, Gotska Sandön | Forest near the city, three island parks |
| Western and central Sweden | Kosterhavet, Tresticklan, Djurö, Tiveden, Garphyttan, Store Mosse | Marine park, forest, Vänern islands, bog |
| Southeast | Åsnen, Norra Kvill, Blå Jungfrun | Lake archipelago, old forest, island in the Kalmar Strait |
| Skåne | Söderåsen, Stenshuvud, Dalby Söderskog | Beech forest, coast, ridge |
Four of the Norrbotten parks, Muddus, Sarek, Padjelanta and Stora Sjöfallet, form the core of Laponia. Together with two nature reserves, they make up a 9,400 km² World Heritage site, inscribed in 1996 for both its nature and its Sámi culture. It is still reindeer-herding land. Naturum Laponia at Stora Sjöfallet is the visitor center; our Swedish Lapland guide covers the region.
Not every park is a day walk. Sarek has no marked trails, no huts and many difficult river crossings. It is for experienced hikers with map, compass and tent experience. Read the Sarek guide and our mountain safety guide before you plan one.
Getting there without a car
Several parks work well by public transport or scheduled boat. Seven are island parks, and most of those rely on summer boats.
| Park | How to get there |
|---|---|
| Tyresta (Stockholm) | Bus 834 to the main entrance, Tyresta by |
| Nämdöskärgården (Stockholm) | Bus from Slussen to Stavsnäs, then the Bullerö boat |
| Ängsö (Stockholm) | Summer boat from Strömkajen in central Stockholm |
| Söderåsen (Skåne) | Bus to Skäralid or Röstånga, with rail connections at Klippan and Stehag |
| Stenshuvud (Skåne) | Just south of Kivik, about 18 km from Simrishamn; bus plus a 3 km walk |
| Skuleskogen (High Coast) | Bus line 50, weekdays only, then a 3 km walk to the West Entrance |
| Kosterhavet (west coast) | Koster boats from Strömstad, all year |
| Gotska Sandön | Summer boats from Nynäshamn or Fårösund |
| Blå Jungfrun | Boats from Oskarshamn or Byxelkrok |
For step-free visits, Färnebofjärden has adapted entrances throughout, with hard surfaces and adapted outhouses. Our Tyresta guide, Söderåsen guide and Koster islands guide carry the detail.
When to go
The season decides access more than opening hours do.
- Spring and summer: island parks are at their busiest, and most boat services run.
- 1 May–30 September: Skuleskogen’s seasonal tent and fire limits apply.
- Dry spells: a county or municipal fire ban closes every fire pit inside a park. Check the day you go, and carry a stove. See our fire ban guide.
- 1 January–30 April: the only months dogs may leave the trails in Abisko, Vadvetjåkka and Pieljekaise.
- Winter: in the mountain parks, the right equipment is a matter of life and death. Check the daily avalanche forecast, which covers six popular mountain areas.
Practical information
| Item | What we found (checked 2026-09-25) |
|---|---|
| Number of parks | 31; newest Nämdöskärgården (2025) |
| Entry | No entry ticket listed on the official park pages we read |
| Parking at Tyresta main entrance | Paid parking; rate not published here |
| Boats to island parks | Operator fares; vary by route and season |
| Drone permit | Apply to the county administrative board |
| Where to read the rules | Each park’s page on Sweden’s National Parks (sverigesnationalparker.se), plus the county board’s page |
FAQ
How many national parks does Sweden have?
Thirty-one as of September 2026. Nämdöskärgården in the Stockholm archipelago became number 31 in 2025, so pages that say 30 are out of date. The next candidate, Bästeträsk on Gotland, was proposed to the government in August 2025, but no decision came before the 2026 election, so it is not yet a park.
Do you have to pay to enter a Swedish national park?
No entry ticket is listed on any official park page we read; you walk in as you would into any forest. The costs come from getting there and staying: some entrances have paid parking, as Tyresta’s main entrance does, island parks need a boat, and huts or campsites charge their own rates.
Can you camp in Swedish national parks?
Often, but not anywhere. Naturvårdsverket says some parks allow tents only in designated areas and limit how long a tent may stand. Skuleskogen allows camping only at designated places, at most three nights, from May to September; Söderåsen bans tents outside designated places; on North and South Koster only the Nordkoster campsite is allowed.
Can I bring my dog into a Swedish national park?
Yes in most parks, but always on a leash, whatever the month and however obedient the dog. Some parks limit dogs further: outside January–April Sarek allows them only on Kungsleden and Padjelanta not at all, Abisko off its trails only from January to April, and Gotska Sandön allows no pets ashore. Check the park page before you travel.
Can I fly a drone in a Swedish national park?
Usually not without a permit. Park regulations commonly forbid take-off and landing, not just low flight: Kosterhavet’s regulations ban starting or landing any aircraft, drones included, and Skuleskogen lists drones among prohibited aircraft. The county administrative board can grant a permit, and the general EU drone rules still apply on top.
Which Swedish national park should I visit?
Match the park to your base. From Stockholm, Tyresta is a bus ride away and Nämdöskärgården a bus and boat. In Skåne, Stenshuvud and Söderåsen suit day walks. For mountains, choose Abisko or the Laponia parks in Norrbotten; Sarek has no marked trails or huts and suits experienced hikers only.
When is the best time to visit Sweden’s national parks?
The season decides access more than any opening hours. Island parks are busiest in spring and summer, when most boat services run, though Kosterhavet’s boats run all year. Mountain parks in winter demand full winter equipment and a daily avalanche check. In dry summers, a fire ban closes every fire pit inside the park.
Related guides
- Abisko National Park — one of the nine 1909 parks, in depth
- Allemansrätten explained — the baseline that park rules narrow
- Wild camping in Sweden — where you may pitch a tent outside the parks
- Hiking in Sweden — trails, marking and seasons across the country
- Fulufjället and Njupeskär — the Dalarna fell park in depth
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Naturvårdsverket (Sweden’s National Parks), Länsstyrelsen Stockholm, Skåne, Västra Götaland, Norrbotten and Gotland, Riksantikvarieämbetet, Transportstyrelsen — full register in this topic’s source file. Boat fares, parking rates and hut prices change by season and are deliberately not published here. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.